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The
session is to be held on June 1, immediately after the Memorial
Day weekend holiday.
He said
he will seek enactment of five measures to give Council control
of near-term public spending in the wake federal political
corruption charges brought against County Executive Tom Gordon
and Sherry Freebery, the county's chief administrative officer.
Coons's
proposals, as listed in a prepared statement he issued on May
27, are:
• "Freeze
the county executive's various contingency funds -- totaling
$2.58 million -- effective immediately.
• "Place
a 30-day freeze on promotions, transfers and terminations within
county government without Council [receiving] notice and
approval.
• "Place
a 90-day restriction on hiring within county government, during
which Country Council will review and approve new hires.
•
"Require County Council review and approval of all expenditures
exceeding $10,000 for a period of 180 days -- the current limit
is $50,000.
•
"Require stronger notice and review by County Council of outside
legal fees."
In his
statement, Coons called the indictments handed up by a federal
grand jury and announced by U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly
"stunning in [their] scope."
He denied
that Council had not acted to stave off abuse, citing a measure
to strengthening the role of the county auditor and hiring "an
independent and effective auditor"; reconstituting and
strengthening the county Ethics Committee; and enactment of a
'whistleblower' ordinance to protect county employees who raise
questions about or make allegations of wrongdoing.
Coons is
seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run to succeed
Gordon, who is ineligible for re-election. Freebery, who is
Coons's opponent in the primary election campaign leading up to
the nomination, has declared her innocence and said she will
fight what she termed the politically-motivated charges.
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